Water is one of the most essential materials for human survival and preservation of life. The significance of equitable access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is established as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life. The scope of this review is to record the different water sources, along with the water’s main characteristics of each source, and to compare the existing regulations and legislations regarding drinking water as have been set by the competent organizations. Furthermore, this review will highlight and provide a general insight into the most applied drinking water treatment methods and introduce some novel treatment methods. Moreover, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) requirements and case studies of drinking water treatment plants are presented. Finally, natural mineral water characteristics, treatment methods, and legislation, along with the uses and treatment of water in the food industry, are also discussed.

The canned fruits industry utilizes high amounts of water and energy, which results in the generation of vast quantities of wastewater and solid waste. The main scope of this study was to compare the environmental footprint of a canned fruits industry (alternative scenario) equipped with appropriate processes (pulsed electric fields, anaerobic digestion, composting, membrane bioreactors, and ultraviolet treatment) that sufficiently save energy and valorize production wastes to a typical setup that uses conventional waste methods (conventional scenario) via conducting a life cycle assessment study. Based on the results, the life cycle assessment confirmed the fact that the incorporation of the proposed methods, as described in the alternative scenario, dramatically reduced the environmental footprint of the industry, with certain environmental impact categories reaching a decrease of up to 90.00%. More specifically, according to the obtained results, a decrease of 11.81, 64.56, and 89.79% in regards to climate change, freshwater ecotoxicity, and freshwater consumption, respectively, was achieved in the alternative scenario compared to the conventional method. The study verified the environmental advantages of integrating such energy saving and waste treatment/valorization technologies across the canned fruits industry’s processing chain, contributing to environmental sustainability and safety.

The meat processing industry is a very energy-intensive and water-demanding industry that produces large amounts of solid and aqueous wastes. Therefore, methods for the effective treatment of the produced wastes have been studied in order to treat and reuse water within the industry and valorize the solid wastes for the production of energy and value-added products. The primary aim of this work is to evaluate the overall sustainability of energy produced from solid waste valorization and wastewater treatment in the meat processing industry via Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). For this purpose, the total environmental impact of a typical meat industry that utilizes conventional waste management methods (Scenario A) was evaluated and compared with two different industries with appropriate waste treatment/valorization processes. In the first studied valorization scenario (Scenario B), waste management is conducted using anaerobic digestion, composting, membrane bioreactors, and ultraviolet (UV) treatment, whereas in the second studied valorization scenario (Scenario C), aeration treatment, chlorination, and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) are the selected treatment techniques. As expected, it is evident from this LCA study, that both Scenarios B and C exhibited a significantly improved environmental footprint in all studied indicators compared with Scenario A, with the reduction in certain environmental impact categories reaching up to 80%. Between the two studied alternative scenarios, the biggest improvement in the environmental footprint of the meat industry was observed in Scenario C, mainly due to the substantial quantity of the produced thermal energy. According to the results of the present case study, it is evident that the incorporation of appropriate methods in the meat industry can result in the efficient generation of energy and a significant improvement in the environmental footprint contributing to environmental safety and sustainability.

This study assesses the environmental sustainability of brewery waste treatment via life cycle assessment. Comparing conventional methods (base case) with two alternative scenarios revealed significant improvement in the environmental footprint.

This study presents a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a berry production system using osmotic dehydration and edible coating to extend the shelf life and improve the nutritional value. The goal is to evaluate environmental impacts, identify hotspots, and propose improvements. Osmotic dehydration is the main contributor to environmental impact, particularly due to the energy and resources required by apple juice as the osmotic agent. It contributes up to 0.64 kg CO₂ eq. per kg of blueberries, 1.36 kg CO₂ eq. per kg of raspberries, and 0.66 kg CO₂ eq. per kg of strawberries. The edible coating, however, has minimal environmental impact due to its low energy consumption and biodegradable materials. Packaging has a lower carbon footprint but contributes more to fossil fuel depletion and human toxicity. Raspberries show the highest human health impact (3.5 × 10⁻⁶ DALY/kg) and ecosystem impact (9.5 × 10⁻⁸ species.yr/kg), followed by strawberries (1.78 × 10⁻⁶ DALY/kg, 4.97 × 10⁻⁸ species.yr/kg) and blueberries (1.7 × 10⁻⁶ DALY/kg, 5.1 × 10⁻⁸ species.yr/kg), highlighting the greater environmental and health costs of raspberries. Despite the environmental burden of osmotic dehydration, it offers economic benefits by extending the shelf life, reducing losses, improving supply chain efficiency, and enhancing product quality, which leads to higher prices and profit margins. The study concludes that, while the environmental impacts of osmotic dehydration should be optimized, its economic and logistical benefits make it a promising preservation solution. Further research into eco-friendly practices is recommended to reduce ecological costs while maintaining commercial advantages.

The coffee processing industry is amongst the most energy-intensive industrial sectors, with the roasting process requiring substantial quantities of energy. To enhance sustainability, various energy optimization and recovery methods have been proposed. This study evaluates the environmental benefits of integrating energy recovery techniques in a typical coffee processing industry using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. Specifically, two alternative scenarios were compared to a baseline processing line; (i) Scenario A, which involves recycling hot air streams to reduce natural gas consumption, and (ii) Scenario B, which utilizes an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) to convert waste heat to electricity. The LCA analysis indicated that Scenario A achieved a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and an 18% decrease in fossil fuel use. Scenario B demonstrated even greater environmental benefits, with a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a 36% decrease in fossil fuel depletion. These findings underline the potential of integrating energy recovery technologies to enhance the sustainability of coffee production, offering valuable insights for industry stakeholders and researchers focused on sustainable manufacturing practices.